New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-30
BACK FROM THE RIVIERA.

BACK FROM THE RIVIERA.
! Tales Told by Americans who were Shaken by the
Earthquake-A Day of Festivity Succeeded by a
Night Of Terror-A Midnight Scene In
Crowded Hotel at Nice.
From the New York World.
The Gascogne OF the Compagnie Gen
erale Transatlantique reached her pier
on the North river a few days ago,
having on the first persons to reach
this country who had witnessed the
terrible earthquake of the Riviera.
They were Charles j. Burke and M.
Tone OF Rochester, N. Y. These gentle
men had been travelling in Europe
and were in Nice on Ash
Wednesday morning, when the south
ern coast of Europe was shaken up.
All Of the way across on the steamer
the gentlemen had been requested to
tell and retell the experience OF that
morning, and when a. World reporter
boarded the steamer and asked them
to tell him about it he was welcomed
with, ri thought you would be here"
and a cheerful promise to tell the tale
as it appeared to them.
'"The great carnival of Nice had just
ended" sad Mr.. Tone, "and the last
day had been one round ofcontinuous
hilarity. There were hundreds OF
masked women, the gay pageant, the
battle of flowers; and in the evening I
had attended the carnival ball, at,
which there were thousands ofpersong
present. We were stopping at tie
Grand hotel, and it was rather early
when we got home. I was too excited
with the days gayety to sleep, and
was lying down reading book. 1t
was about o'clock when the earth
quake began, and can never learn to
express my feelings. It was the
strangest thing ever knew, although
I had been through one before in
California. knew it was an earth
quake at once, and jumped up and
made for the door to- 60 to Mr.. Burkes
room, which was just across the hall
from mine, but somehow the furniture
OF the room went flying about as
though placed loosely in the cabin OF
a steamer during a heavy gale, and
for a while was rushing about the
room trying to catch my bed. Final
ly got out in the hall and went
across to my friends room, but the
door Was locked and I called to him
to come out. Just then young lady
rushed up to me with but single gar
nent on, having in her hand a large
bird cage carefully covered with a,
shawl. oh, sir, what shall / do?' she
said to me, and suggested she should
go and put some clothes on. But she
didn't, for just then the second shock
street and followed her. The halls
were filled with women, men and chill
dren, the majority of whom did not
wait to put on any extra clothing,
but ran for the public squares to be
out of the road of any falling build.
ings.
cit was the most terrible, mostfe fear
instilling sight | ever witnessed. Al
though the men tried, even in their in
tense excitement, to show some re-
spect to the women and children, it
was time when everybody looked
out for himself, for it was expected
every moment that the house would
fall down. shall never forget it, and
| don't care if never see Italy again.
Following as it did the merry carni-
val, it had the strongest effect on the
merry-makers of yesterday. All of the
jests and carousals were forgotten,
and all, or nearly all, tried to pray
!: Mr.. Burke had in his charge during
the passage six sisters OF charity, and
after he had seen them away to their
destinations he told the reporter the
following story of his experiences with
the earthquake: II was in bed and
} asleep when I was awakened by feel
3 ing myself swinging, as it were, about
twenty feet to and fro. The furniture
:, in the room was banging about anc
there was low, omlnous roar
Jumped up quickly and dressed.
e had just flushed my hasty toilet
t when the second shock came and
ran out into the hall, leaving every
thing behind me except what I wore
:, The hall was actually filled with mer
and women running up and down ano
crying out in the most distressin.
e manner. The great hotel continued
to rock like d cradle, and with eacl
+ vibration the cries increased and WON
= en- tainted on all sides. There wer
: husbands calling their wives ane
: wives their husbands. Children wer
IS running about and shrieking for thei
d parents. All had jumped out OF bee
o and the scene was worse than on
could imagine. Pandemonium wa
nothing to it, and the coolest amon
us did not know what to do until al
1 were finally seized with the desire t,
: get to the street, and then there wa
a crush. Ihave no ideaof how long thi
; lasted. Time was lost to me. Itmigh
: have been two minutes or two hours
: All can remember is that the Who'll
;, system seemed demoralized and ] wa
!, in a whirl that can only he compared
~ i Z - i = I - -